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pie with firefighting expertise. Budget cuts mean fewer bodies 

 available to fight wildfires is simply and plain truth. 



Since 1993 the Forest Service has eliminated over 5,000 full-time 

 equivalent positions or FTEs. This year when we approach the 

 limit of our personnel resources 22,000-plus people from all sources 

 were actively engaged in firefighting. To address this shortfall we 

 have emphasized the responsibility of all Forest Service personnel 

 to make themselves for firefighting assignments. We are using con- 

 tract crews and engines, and military crews, and are placing great- 

 er reliance on firefighting forces of State and local governments. 

 What that means is when we have to allocate resources and per- 

 sonnel to firefighting then they can't do the other work of forest 

 management that is necessary to help prevent future wildfires. 



Let me close by emphasizing several key points. 



First, as part of improving the health of many forest and grass- 

 land ecosystems we must restore fire to fire-adapted ecosystems on 

 a large scale. This is consistent with and a cornerstone of our Fed- 

 eral wildland fire management policy. 



Second, we must continue an aggressive program of fuels reduc- 

 tion and treatment, thinning and salvage. This is best done with 

 full public knowledge and participation in management decisions, 

 and it must be based on the best scientific information available. 



Third, we must continue to emphasize collaboration in forest 

 management as we do in fire suppression. The success of pur fire- 

 fighting efforts comes of the close working relationship between 

 Federal, State and local agencies. This teamwork approach is 

 equally important in prescribing management strategies to reduce 

 fire risks on the landscape. 



Fourth, we must invest in the resources necessary to further im- 

 prove our firefighting capacity. We appreciate the Congress' rapid 

 response to requests for supplemental funding to cover fire costs for 

 this year, but we need your further assistance in establishing a 

 mechanism to fund both fire presuppression as well as suppression 

 efforts and to provide us the authority to get DOD tankers into pri- 

 vate hands to aid in the firefighting effort in the near term. 



And, finally, we must recognize after the smoke clears from this 

 season's fires that we have a management job to do to restore fire- 

 adapted ecosystems to their normal and more natural function. 

 This doesn't mean, Congressmen, that we simply leave them alone. 

 This means that we engage in active management of these re- 

 sources. To do so takes understanding of sound science and re- 

 search, it takes public understanding that we must in fact fight fire 

 with fire, it takes humility to recognize the past policies of fire sup- 

 pression possibly contributed to the situation, and it takes pa- 

 tience. We have millions and millions of acres to treat and we can- 

 not fix this problem overnight. 



One closing note, Mr. Chairman. We have an important role to 

 play, the Administration and the Congress, to address these con- 

 cerns, to deal with the forest health problems we face, and to re- 

 store these fire-adapted ecosystems to a more natural state to re- 

 duce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the future. 



While some may be tempted to politicize this situation, to use the 

 1996 season for some partisan political gain, I hope, as we have 

 done in the past, we can avoid this. Now is the time for partner- 



